JP7482288B1 - Electric Vacuum Equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a highly convenient electric vacuum device that is excellent in both ease of handling of the vacuum cleaner stored in the storage stand and ease of handling of the accessories for the vacuum cleaner stored in the storage stand.
[Solution] The storage device 3 comprises a base 41 placed at an installation location, a support column 42 extending upward from the base 41, and a support section 43 provided on the support column 42 and capable of individually supporting the vacuum cleaner 2 in a stored position and accessories 5 of the vacuum cleaner 2. The support section 43 has a vacuum cleaner arrangement section 61 that opens horizontally and in which the vacuum cleaner 2 can be arranged, and an accessory arrangement section 62 that opens horizontally and in which the accessories 5 can be arranged, and an open end 61o of the vacuum cleaner arrangement section 61 and an open end 62o of the accessory arrangement section 62 are arranged side by side.
[Selected figure] Figure 2

Description

An embodiment of the present invention relates to an electric cleaning device.

A vacuum cleaner and a charging stand in which the vacuum cleaner is stored are known. The vacuum cleaner comes with accessories such as a crevice/brush switching nozzle, an extension tube, a standard suction nozzle, a small suction nozzle, and a broom-type suction nozzle.

The charging stand has a base member that is placed at the installation location. The base member has a recess for storing accessories. The recesses for storing accessories are located on both the left and right sides of a column-shaped stand member that supports the vacuum cleaner in the stored state.

The accessory has a tubular portion that can be connected to a connection port of the vacuum cleaner body. The accessory is stored in the charging base with the tubular portion of the accessory fitted into a recess in the base member. The accessory stored in the charging base has its suction port facing upward. When using the accessory, a user picks up the accessory by pulling the tubular portion out of the recess in the base member and pointing it upward from the base member.

JP 2022-017663 A

When trying to use an accessory stored in a conventional charging stand, the user must first bend or squat down to pick up the accessory, and then stretch their back to pick up the accessory above the base member. Also, when trying to use an accessory stored in a conventional charging stand, the user must turn the accessory upside down after picking it up from the charging stand.

These actions require excessive movement from the user, and are therefore inconvenient. Such inconvenience may increase the user's psychological resistance to using the accessory, and may result in a decrease in the frequency of use of the accessory.

The present invention aims to provide a highly convenient vacuum cleaner that is easy to handle both in terms of the ease of use of the vacuum cleaner stored in the storage device and in terms of the ease of use of the accessories for the vacuum cleaner stored in the storage device.

In order to solve the above problems, the electric cleaning device according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a vacuum cleaner having an electric blower that generates negative pressure, a main body that houses the electric blower, and a tube that is connected to the suction side of the electric blower and extends from the main body, and a storage device capable of supporting the vacuum cleaner in a position in which the tube is located below the main body. The storage device includes a base that is placed at an installation location, a support column that extends upward from the base, and a support section that is provided on the support column and can individually support the vacuum cleaner in the above position and an accessory of the vacuum cleaner. The accessory has a root section having a joint structure that can be connected to the vacuum cleaner, and a suction port where the negative pressure acts when the root section is connected to the vacuum cleaner and the electric blower is operated. The support section includes a vacuum cleaner arrangement section that opens horizontally and in which the vacuum cleaner can be arranged, and an accessory arrangement section that opens horizontally and in which the accessory can be arranged, and the open end of the vacuum cleaner arrangement section and the open end of the accessory arrangement section are arranged side by side. The accessory placement portion supports the accessory so as to be hung in an accessory storage position in which the suction port of the accessory is positioned below the base portion, and supports the accessory so as to be removable in an opening direction through the open end.

1 is a perspective view of a usage form of an electric cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the electric cleaning device according to the embodiment of the present invention in a storage state. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a support part of a storage tool for the electric cleaning device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a plan view of a support part of a storage tool for an electric cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a front view of a support part of a storage tool for an electric cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a right side view of the support part of the storage tool of the electric cleaning device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a storage device for the electric cleaning device according to the embodiment of the present invention with accessories stored in a support portion. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a storage device for a cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention with accessories stored in a support portion.

The electric cleaning device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 8. Note that the same or corresponding components are designated by the same reference numerals in the various drawings.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a usage form of an electric vacuum device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the electric cleaning device 1 according to this embodiment includes a vacuum cleaner 2 capable of sucking in dust using negative pressure, and a storage device 3 capable of storing the vacuum cleaner 2.

The vacuum cleaner 2 includes a load, such as an electric motor 12, that is driven by power stored in a secondary battery 11. The secondary battery 11 is also called a storage battery, a rechargeable battery, or a rechargeable battery. The vacuum cleaner 2 is, for example, a stick-type vacuum cleaner 2, and includes an electric blower 13 as a load integrated with the motor 12.

The vacuum cleaner 2 includes a main body 16 having a handle 15 for hand-held operation, a secondary battery 11 that can be attached to and detached from the main body 16, an extension tube 17 connected to the main body 16, and a suction mouth body 18 connected to the extension tube 17.

The vacuum cleaner 2 can use various accessories 5 in place of the extension tube 17 and the suction port body 18. The accessories 5 are, for example, a round brush 6 that is much narrower than the suction port body 18 and can be easily inserted into the space under a bed installed in a living room, a small suction port body that is a smaller version of the suction port body 18, and a crevice nozzle 7 with an air passage cross section that narrows toward the suction port.

The vacuum cleaner 2 and main body 16 are used in various positions by the user holding the main body 16 in their hand. Thus, in FIG. 1, the view in the direction of solid arrow P is a plan view (top view) of the vacuum cleaner 2, and the view in the opposite direction of solid arrow P is a bottom view of the vacuum cleaner 2. In FIG. 1, the view in the direction of solid arrow F is a front view (front view) of the vacuum cleaner 2, and the view in the opposite direction of solid arrow F is a rear view of the vacuum cleaner 2. In FIG. 1, the view in the direction of solid arrow L is a left side view of the vacuum cleaner 2, and the view in the opposite direction of solid arrow L is a right side view of the vacuum cleaner 2.

The main body 16 includes a main body case 21 having a handle 15, an electric blower 13 housed in the main body case 21 and generating a negative suction pressure, a dust separation and collection unit 22 detachably mounted on the main body case 21, and a main body control unit 23 that mainly controls the operation of the electric blower 13 and the charging and discharging of the secondary battery 11.

The main body 16 drives the electric blower 13 using the power stored in the secondary battery 11, generates negative pressure by driving the electric blower 13, and applies the generated negative suction pressure to the dust separation and collection unit 22. The negative suction pressure acting on the dust separation and collection unit 22 acts sequentially on the extension tube 17 and the suction port body 18. The negative suction pressure that reaches the suction port body 18 acts on the suction port 25 of the suction port body 18. The negative suction pressure acting on the suction port 25 sucks air containing dust (hereinafter referred to as "dust-containing air") from the floor surface into the suction port 25. The dust-containing air sucked into the suction port 25 flows into the dust separation and collection unit 22 through the suction port body 18 and the extension tube 17. The dust separation and collection unit 22 separates dust from the dust-laden air sucked in by the negative suction pressure, collects and accumulates the separated dust, and sends the air from which the dust has been separated to the electric blower 13. The electric blower 13 exhausts the air from which the dust has been separated out of the main body case 21.

Furthermore, the main body 16 is equipped with an input unit 26 that is positioned within the range in which a user holding the handle 15 can move their fingers.

The main body case 21 is disposed on the extension line of the extension tube 17 and includes a columnar front portion 21a extending along the extension line of the extension tube 17, a central portion 21b hanging diagonally downward and rearward from the front portion 21a, a cylindrical rear portion 21c extending rearward from the lower half of the back surface of the central portion 21b, and a handle 15 extending rearward from the upper half of the back surface of the central portion 21b, curving in an arc shape, and connecting to the rear end of the upper surface of the rear portion 21c.

The front part 21a and the central part 21b of the main body case 21 cooperate to detachably hold the dust separation and collection part 22. The dust separation and collection part 22 has a cylindrical appearance overall. The front part 21a and the central part 21b hold the dust separation and collection part 22 with the center line C of the dust separation and collection part 22, in other words, the longitudinal direction, parallel to the extension line of the center line of the extension tube 17. When the extension tube 17 and the dust separation and collection part 22 are attached to the main body case 21, the extension line of the center line of the extension tube 17 and the center line C of the dust separation and collection part 22 are arranged on a central longitudinal section that divides the main body case 21 substantially equally into left and right. The longitudinal front part 21a and the cylindrical dust separation and collection part 22 are arranged side by side so that their center lines are parallel.

The front part 21a of the main body case 21 is arranged on the extension of the longitudinal direction of the extension tube 17, i.e., the extension direction, and extends in a tubular shape. The front part 21a has a joint structure that allows the extension tube 17 to be attached and detached. This joint structure has a structure that allows connection to any of the extension tube 17, the suction port body 18, and the accessory 5. In other words, the extension tube 17, the suction port body 18, and the accessory 5 have a common joint structure. The front part 21a has a main body connection port 28, which is the fluid inlet of the main body 16, and fluidly connects the extension tube 17 to the dust separation and collection unit 22. By removing the extension tube 17 from the main body 16, the main body connection port 28 also functions as a suction port when the main body 16 is used alone.

The rear part 21c of the main body case 21 houses the electric blower 13 and the main body control unit 23. The rear part 21c has an exhaust port 29 that discharges the exhaust air of the electric blower 13 from inside the main body case 21. A battery attachment part 31 to which the secondary battery 11 can be attached and detached is provided at the bottom of the rear part 21c.

The central portion 21b of the main body case 21 covers and holds a part of the rear end of the dust separation and collection unit 22 attached to the front portion 21a, and houses an air passage connecting the dust separation and collection unit 22 and the electric blower 13. The central portion 21b is connected to the rear end of the front portion 21a, which extends in a substantially straight line, and bulges diagonally downward and toward the rear of the main body case 21. The central portion 21b has an appearance that slopes downward toward the rear of the main body case 21.

The handle 15 is integrally provided on the main body case 21. The handle 15 is the part that the user holds with his/her hand. Therefore, it is preferable that the handle 15 has an appropriate shape that is easy to hold with human fingers.

The handle 15 is installed between the front 21a and rear 21c of the main case 21. The handle 15 extends from the rear end of the front 21a in the extension direction of the extension tube 17, and is curved in an arc to connect to the rear end of the rear 21c. Between the handle 15 and the back surface of the central portion 21b of the main case 21, and between the handle 15 and the top surface of the rear portion 21c of the main case 21, a continuous space penetrates in the left-right direction (width direction) of the main case 21. The fingers of the user gripping the handle 15, mainly the index finger, middle finger, ring finger, and little finger, are placed in this space.

The input unit 26 is provided near the handle 15, within a range where a user holding the handle 15 can move his or her fingers. The input unit 26 has a switch that accepts a request to operate the electric blower 13. This switch is electrically connected to the main body control unit 23. A user of the vacuum cleaner 2 can operate the input unit 26 to alternate between operating and stopping the electric blower 13.

The input unit 26 may be equipped with a switch for switching the operation mode of the electric blower 13. In this case, the main body control unit 23 switches the operation mode in the following order each time it receives an operation signal from the operation mode switching switch: strong → medium → weak → strong → medium → weak → .... Note that the input unit 26 may be equipped with a strong operation switch, a medium operation switch, and a weak operation switch separately instead of the operation mode switching switch.

The dust separation and collection unit 22 is disposed in an L-shaped storage space formed by the front part 21a and the center part 21b of the main body case 21. The dust separation and collection unit 22 separates, captures, and accumulates dust from the dust-laden air flowing into the main body 16, while sending clean air from which dust has been removed to the electric blower 13. The dust separation and collection unit 22 is a centrifugal separation type that centrifuges dust and air by utilizing the difference in mass between the dust and the air. A filtration and separation type filter that filters out dust from the dust-laden air may be provided downstream of the dust separation and collection unit 22.

The dust separation and collection unit 22 extends in a cylindrical shape along the front-rear direction of the main body case 21. In other words, the dust separation and collection unit 22 is a cylindrical container having a center line C extending in the front-rear direction of the main body case 21. The direction along the center line C of the dust separation and collection unit 22, the extension direction of the dust separation and collection unit 22, and the longitudinal direction of the dust separation and collection unit 22 are substantially the same and substantially coincide with the front-rear direction of the main body case 21. Therefore, the center line C of the dust separation and collection unit 22 is substantially parallel to the center line of the extension tube 17. The dust separation and collection unit 22 is also provided adjacent to the front part 21a of the main body case 21. In other words, the longitudinal direction of the dust separation and collection unit 22 follows the longitudinal direction of the front part 21a of the main body case 21. The diameter of the dust separating and collecting part 22 is larger than the width dimension of the front part 21a of the main body case 21, and the dust separating and collecting part 22 protrudes in the left-right direction (width direction) of the main body 16 beyond the front part 21a of the main body case 21. The left-right direction of the main body 16 corresponds to the normal direction of the central vertical cross section of the main body 16. The center line C of the cylindrical dust separating and collecting part 22 is substantially included in the central vertical cross section of the main body 16.

The central portion 21b of the main body case 21 is provided with a connection port that is fluidly connected to the exhaust side of the dust separation and collection unit 22, and a separation unit downstream air duct that fluidly connects the connection port to the electric blower 13. The central portion 21b includes a portion that is sandwiched between the dust separation and collection unit 22 and the rear portion 21c of the main body case 21. The connection port and the separation unit downstream air duct are located in this portion.

The connection port is located at a portion facing the front of the central portion 21b. When the dust separation and collection unit 22 is attached to the main body case 21, the connection port faces directly at the rear end face of the dust separation and collection unit 22. Therefore, when the dust separation and collection unit 22 is attached to the main body case 21, the connection port is located on an extension of the center line C of the dust separation and collection unit 22.

The suction side of the electric blower 13 is connected to the dust separation and collection unit 22 via a connecting port and a separation unit downstream air duct. The electric blower 13 draws in air from the dust separation and collection unit 22 to generate suction negative pressure. The electric blower 13 includes an impeller, an electric motor 12 that generates a rotational driving force for the impeller, and a rotating shaft that transmits the rotational driving force from the electric motor 12 to the impeller.

The impeller is, for example, a turbofan, and is equipped with multiple blades. Each blade has a twisted shape that gradually rises in the radial direction of the hub from the center of the conical hub toward the outer edge of the hub. In other words, each blade is a so-called three-dimensional blade, in which the airfoil or wing section changes from the leading edge to the trailing edge. The impeller is covered by a case that has an intake port.

The electric blower 13 has a cylindrical or columnar shape with the rotation axis at its center. It is housed in the main body case 21 with the center line of the rotation axis facing the front-to-rear direction of the main body case 21 and the suction port facing forward. In addition, the center line of the rotation axis of the electric blower 13 is substantially located on an extension of the center line C of the dust separation and collection unit 22.

The main body control unit 23 is disposed directly behind the electric blower 13. The main body control unit 23 includes a microprocessor and a storage device as a storage unit for storing various calculation programs executed by the microprocessor, parameters, and the like. When implementing control that allows the operation mode of the electric blower 13 to be selectively selected from a plurality of operation modes, the storage device stores various settings (arguments) related to the plurality of pre-set operation modes. The plurality of operation modes are associated with the output of the electric blower 13. A mutually different input value (input value of the electric blower 13, target value of the current flowing through the electric blower 13) is set for each operation mode. Each operation mode is associated with an operation request received by the input unit 26. The main body control unit 23 selectively selects an arbitrary operation mode corresponding to the operation request of the input unit 26 from a plurality of pre-set operation modes, reads the setting of the selected operation mode from the storage device, and operates the electric blower 13 according to the setting of the read operation mode.

The input value of the electric blower 13 corresponds to the discharge amount of the secondary battery 11. The discharge amount of the secondary battery 11 is controlled by the level of the discharge current or discharge voltage of the secondary battery 11. It is simple and preferable to control the discharge amount of the secondary battery 11 by the level of the discharge current of the secondary battery 11.

The secondary battery 11 is a so-called battery pack. The electric blower 13 and the main body control unit 23 are driven by discharging the power stored in the secondary battery 11, and the power consumed by the electric blower 13 and the main body control unit 23 is stored in the secondary battery 11 by charging the secondary battery 11. The secondary battery 11 can be attached to and detached from the main body case 21. In other words, the vacuum cleaner 2 can use multiple secondary batteries 11 by appropriately replacing them. When the charging rate of the secondary battery 11 attached to the vacuum cleaner 2 decreases, the secondary battery 11 can be replaced with a charged secondary battery 11, so that the vacuum cleaner 2 can continue to operate. In other words, the secondary battery 11 can be charged while attached to the main body case 21, or it can be removed from the main body case 21, attached to a charger different from the vacuum cleaner 2, charged, and then reattached to the main body case 21 after charging. The vacuum cleaner 2 may be one in which the secondary battery 11 can be easily replaced, or one in which the secondary battery 11 can be replaced, requiring disassembly of the main body 16 in order to replace the secondary battery 11.

The extension tube 17 and the suction port body 18 suck in dust on the floor surface together with air using the negative pressure applied by the electric blower 13 and guide it to the main body 16.

The extension tube 17 is fluidly connected to the suction side of the electric blower 13 via the main body connection port 28 of the main body case 21 and the dust separation and collection unit 22. The extension tube 17 has a length that substantially reaches the floor surface when the user is holding the handle 15 of the main body 16. One end of the extension tube 17 has a joint structure that can be attached and detached to the main body connection port 28 of the main body 16. The other end of the extension tube 17 has a joint structure that can be attached and detached to the suction port body 18 of the main body 16. The extension tube 17 may be extendable or may have a fixed length that is not extendable.

The suction mouth body 18 can run or glide freely on a floor surface such as a wooden floor or carpet, and has a suction mouth 25 on the bottom surface that faces the floor surface when running or gliding. The suction mouth body 18 also has a rotatable rotating cleaning body 32 arranged at the suction mouth 25, and an electric motor 33 that drives the rotating cleaning body 32. One end of the suction mouth body 18 has a joint structure that can be attached and detached to the other end of the extension tube 17. The suction mouth body 18 is fluidly connected to the suction side of the electric blower 13 via the extension tube 17. The suction mouth body 18, the extension tube 17, and the dust separation and collection unit 22 form an intake air passage that runs from the electric blower 13 to the suction mouth 25.

The suction mouth body 18 may be equipped with a windmill that drives the rotating cleaning body 32 instead of the electric motor 33. This windmill rotates due to the flow of air sucked into the vacuum cleaner 2, and drives the rotating cleaning body 32.

When the input unit 26 is operated while the electric blower 13 is stopped, the vacuum cleaner 2 starts the electric blower 13. If an operation mode changeover switch is implemented, the vacuum cleaner 2 first starts the electric blower 13 in a strong operation mode, and when the operation mode changeover switch is operated, the operation mode of the electric blower 13 is changed to a medium operation mode. When the operation mode changeover switch is operated again, the operation mode of the electric blower 13 is changed to a weak operation mode, and so on. The strong operation mode, the medium operation mode, and the weak operation mode are a plurality of operation modes that are set in advance. The input value for the electric blower 13 is the largest in the strong operation mode, and the smallest in the weak operation mode. When the electric blower 13 is started, it sucks air from the dust separation and collection unit 22, creating a negative pressure inside the dust separation and collection unit 22.

The negative pressure in the dust separation and collection unit 22 acts on the suction port 25 through the main body connection port 28, the extension tube 17, and the suction port body 18 in sequence. The vacuum cleaner 2 uses the negative pressure acting on the suction port 25 to suck in dust on the surface to be cleaned together with air, cleaning the surface. The dust separation and collection unit 22 separates dust from the dust-containing air sucked into the vacuum cleaner 2 and accumulates it, while sending the air separated from the dust-containing air to the electric blower 13. The electric blower 13 exhausts the air sucked in from the dust separation and collection unit 22 to the outside of the main body 16.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the storage configuration of an electric cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in Fig. 2 in addition to Fig. 1, the storage device 3 of the vacuum cleaner 1 according to this embodiment is a so-called storage stand. The storage device 3 supports the vacuum cleaner 2 in a storage position in which the extension tube 17 of the vacuum cleaner 2 is located below the main body 16. The storage device 3 can store the vacuum cleaner 2 by standing it up. The storage device 3 may be one in which the vacuum cleaner 2 can be stored by hanging it at any point, or one in which the vacuum cleaner 2 can be stored by hanging it.

The storage device 3 includes a base 41 that is placed at the installation location, a support column 42 that extends upward from the base 41, and a support column 43 that is attached to the support column 42 and can individually support the vacuum cleaner 2 in the storage position and the accessories 5.

The storage device 3 is generally placed on a horizontal surface and is not used in a variety of positions like the vacuum cleaner 2. Therefore, the front, side, and plane of the storage device 3 are designated by the third angle projection method.

The base 41 has a bottom surface that is placed on a flat installation location and an upper surface 51 that faces above the installation location. The shape of the base 41 in a plan view of the storage device 3 is substantially rectangular. The base 41 has a flange-shaped lower support portion 52 that protrudes upward from the front edge of the upper surface 51 and extends in the width direction of the base 41, a groove portion 53 that is disposed behind the lower support portion 52 and is recessed downward and extends in the width direction of the base 41, and a central bulge portion 55 that extends from the groove portion 53 toward the rear of the base 41 in the center portion in the left-right width direction of the base 41. The left and right sides of the central bulge portion 55 are flat surfaces that are one step lower than the central bulge portion 55. Between this flat surface and the central bulge portion 55 and the groove portion 53, a bank-like portion that defines a part of the groove portion 53 extends in the width direction of the base 41.

The support pillars 42 are bent steel wires with sufficient strength and rigidity to support the vacuum cleaner 2. The support pillars 42 rise upward from the upper surface of the rear end of the central bulge 55 of the base 41 in a pair on the left and right, incline toward the front of the base 41, extend further upward in a pair on the left and right, and bend toward the rear side of the base 41 at the top to form an open U-shape toward the front of the base 41 before merging into one. The lower ends of the support pillars 42 are removably inserted into insertion holes provided on the upper surface of the rear end of the central bulge 55.

The support portion 42 has a height of 50 to 55 centimeters based on the installation surface of the base portion 41.

The support section 43 is disposed on the top of the support column 42. The support section 43 is disposed substantially on the top of the storage device 3. The support section 43 has a vacuum cleaner placement section 61 in which the vacuum cleaner 2 can be placed, and an accessory placement section 62 in which the accessory 5 can be placed. The vacuum cleaner placement section 61 and the accessory 5 are in the form of a U-shaped recess that opens horizontally, and are recessed.

The vacuum cleaner 2 is stored by placing the suction port body 18 connected to the suction end of the extension tube 17 against the lower support part 52 of the base part 41 of the storage device 3 and placing the middle part of the extension tube 17 in the vacuum cleaner placement part 61 of the support part 43 of the storage device 3, so that it can be leaned up against the storage device 3. In other words, the vacuum cleaner placement part 61 is in contact with the extension tube 17 to support the vacuum cleaner 2 in the storage position, and the lower support part 52 and the groove part 53 are in contact with the suction port body 18 to support the vacuum cleaner 2 in the storage position.

Next, the support part 43 of the storage device 3 will be described in detail.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the support portion of the storage device for the electric cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the support portion of the storage device for the electric cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 5 is a front view of the support part of the storage tool for the electric cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 6 is a right side view of the support part of the storage tool for the electric cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1 and 2, as shown in Figs. 3 to 6, the support part 43 of the storage 3 of the electric vacuum device 1 according to this embodiment has a vacuum cleaner arrangement part 61 that is open toward the front of the storage 3 and has a U-shape in a plan view of the storage 3, and a plurality of accessory arrangement parts 62 that are arranged on the left and right sides of the vacuum cleaner arrangement part 61 and have a U-shape in a plan view of the storage 3. The support part 43 is an integrally molded resin product. The plurality of accessory arrangement parts 62 are provided symmetrically with respect to the vacuum cleaner arrangement part 61, for example, two. The symmetrical plurality of accessory arrangement parts 62 reduce the twisting of the support part 42 and the support part 43 when the plurality of accessories 5 are stored in the storage 3, and reduce the geometric mismatch when the electric vacuum cleaner 2 is stored in the storage 3. In this way, the storage 3 maintains smooth storage of the electric vacuum cleaner 2.

The U-shaped vacuum cleaner placement section 61 extends from the open end 61o to the closed end 61c with a substantially uniform width, and terminates at the semicircular closed end 61c. The U-shaped accessory placement section 62 extends from the open end 62o to the closed end 62c with a substantially uniform width, and terminates at the semicircular closed end 62c. The uniform width portion is divided in two and the direction from the closed end 61c to the open end 61o is defined as the opening direction d1 of the vacuum cleaner placement section 61. It is preferable that the opening direction d1 of the vacuum cleaner placement section 61 faces directly in front of the storage device 3. The uniform width portion is divided in two and the direction from the closed end 62c to the open end 62o is defined as the opening direction d2 of the accessory placement section 62.

The open end 61o of the vacuum cleaner placement section 61 and the open ends 62o of the multiple accessory placement sections 62 are arranged side by side. The open ends 62o of the multiple accessory placement sections 62 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the open end 61o of the vacuum cleaner placement section 61. The multiple open ends 61o, 62o are arranged so that they can be viewed side by side when viewed from the front of the storage device 3. In other words, a user of the electric cleaning device 1 can reach out from the front of the storage device 3 to pick up the electric vacuum cleaner 2, whose extension tube 17 is supported by the vacuum cleaner placement section 61, and the accessories 5 supported by each accessory placement section 62. Also, a user of the electric cleaning device 1 can easily reach out while standing in front of the storage device 3 to pick up the electric vacuum cleaner 2, whose extension tube 17 is supported by the vacuum cleaner placement section 61, and the accessories 5 supported by each accessory placement section 62.

It is preferable that the angle θ between the opening direction d1 of the vacuum cleaner placement section 61 and the opening direction d2 of the accessory placement section 62 is 45 degrees or less. The vacuum cleaner placement section 61 and the accessory placement section 62 arranged within such an angle range prevent the support section 43 from expanding significantly in the width direction of the storage device 3, and arrange the open end 61o of the vacuum cleaner placement section 61 and the open ends 62o of the multiple accessory placement sections 62 side by side in a natural manner.

It is preferable that the angle θ between the opening direction d1 of the vacuum cleaner arrangement section 61 and the opening direction d2 of the accessory arrangement section 62 is kept to 45 degrees or less, while the spacing between adjacent arrangement sections 61, 62 is secured to an extent that a person's fingers can be inserted smoothly. The vacuum cleaner arrangement section 61 and the accessory arrangement section 62 arranged at such a spacing prevent interference between any of the vacuum cleaner 2 and accessories 5 picked up by the user and any other of the vacuum cleaner 2 and accessories 5 left behind in the storage device 3. If they were to interfere with each other, items other than the item being picked up may fall out of the storage device 3, reducing convenience.

In addition, it is preferable that the overall width (maximum width in the left-right direction) of the support portion 43 is narrower than the width dimension of the base portion 41. Such a dimensional relationship between the support portion 43 and the base portion 41 limits the footprint and ground contact area of the storage device 3 to approximately the occupied area of the base portion 41.

It is preferable that the relationship between the opening directions d1, d2 and the opening intervals between the vacuum cleaner placement section 61 and the accessory placement section 62 is the same even when two or more accessory placement sections 62 are provided on each side of the vacuum cleaner placement section 61.

In the opening direction d1 of the vacuum cleaner placement section 61, as shown by the two-dot chain line α, it is preferable that the closed end 62c of the accessory placement section 62 is closer to the open end 61o of the vacuum cleaner placement section 61 than the closed end 61c of the vacuum cleaner placement section 61. In other words, it is preferable that the accessory 5 stored in the accessory placement section 62 is stored on the front side of the storage device 3 than the extension tube 17 of the vacuum cleaner 2 that vertically passes through the vacuum cleaner placement section 61.

When the vacuum cleaner 2 is removed from the storage device 3 and separated from it, the positional relationship between the closed end 61c of the vacuum cleaner placement section 61 and the closed end 62c of the accessory placement section 62 does not significantly affect convenience. On the other hand, when the vacuum cleaner 2 is stored in the storage device 3, the extension tube 17 of the vacuum cleaner 2 passes vertically through the vacuum cleaner placement section 61, and the main body 16 of the vacuum cleaner 2 is above the support section 43. In such a case, it is easier to remove the accessory 5 and more convenient if the accessory 5 is located in front of the vacuum cleaner 2. Also, in a mode in which the main body 16 and the extension tube 17 of the vacuum cleaner 2 are separated and the accessory 5 is directly connected to the main body 16 while the extension tube 17 and the suction mouth body 18 are stored in the storage device 3, it is easier to remove the accessory 5 and more convenient if the accessory 5 is located in front of the extension tube 17.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a storage device for an electric vacuum device according to an embodiment of the present invention with accessories stored in the support section.

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of a storage device for an electric vacuum device according to an embodiment of the present invention with accessories stored in the support section.

As shown in Figs. 7 and 8 in addition to Figs. 3 to 6, the accessory placement section 62 of the storage device 3 of the electric vacuum device 1 according to this embodiment has an upper edge 65 that slopes downward from the open end 62o to the closed end 62c. The accessory placement section 62 also has an upper surface 66 that is continuous with the upper edge 65. As shown in Fig. 7, the upper edge 65 of the accessory placement section 62 is in contact with the accessory 5. In other words, the accessory 5 is held by being hooked onto the upper edge 65 of the accessory placement section 62.

On the other hand, the accessory 5 has a base portion 71 with a joint structure that can be connected to either the main body 16 or the extension tube 17 of the vacuum cleaner 2, a tube portion 72 with a diameter smaller than the opening width of the accessory placement portion 62, an annular flange portion 73 with an outer diameter larger than the opening width of the accessory placement portion 62, and a suction port 75 that draws in air and dust when the electric blower 13 is operated with the base portion 71 connected to the main body 16 or the extension tube 17 of the vacuum cleaner 2 and negative pressure is applied.

The flange portion 73 is provided at the boundary between the base portion 71 and the tube portion 72.

The suction port 75 corresponds to the opening at the free end of the tube section 72.

The accessory 5 is stored in the accessory placement section 62 in an accessory storage position in which the suction port 75 is located below the base 71. In other words, the accessory placement section 62 supports the accessory 5 in an accessory storage position in which the suction port 75 of the accessory 5 is located below the base 71. The center of gravity of the accessory 5 is located on the pipe 72 side, not the base 71 side, when the flange 73 is used as a reference. This is because the pipe 72, which is inserted into the gap in furniture or the space below the bed, is longer than the base 71, which is the joint structure with the adjacent structure of the accessory 5 (main body 16 or extension pipe 17), and has a head portion for bristles, and is therefore heavier. Therefore, the center of gravity of the accessory 5 in the accessory storage position is located below the flange 73.

When the accessory 5 is stored in the storage device 3, the flange portion 73 of the accessory 5 is hooked onto the upper edge portion 65 of the accessory placement portion 62, and the tube portion 72 passes vertically through the accessory placement portion 62. The flange portion 73 is hooked onto the accessory placement portion 62 so as to span between the edge 65a of the upper edge portion 65 of the accessory placement portion 62 that is closer to the vacuum cleaner placement portion 61 and the edge 65b that is farther from the vacuum cleaner placement portion 61. The upper edge portion 65 of the accessory placement portion 62 on which the flange portion 73 is hooked slopes downward from the open end 62o to the closed end 62c of the accessory placement portion 62, while the center of gravity of the accessory 5 in the accessory storage position is located below the flange portion 73. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7, the accessory 5 rises up with the base portion 71 located above the flange portion 73 rising from the closed end 62c to the open end 62o of the accessory placement portion 62, using the contact point between the flange portion 73 and the upper edge portion 65 of the accessory placement portion 62 as a fulcrum. In other words, the flange portion 73 does not touch the upper edge portion 65 of the accessory placement portion 62 in a line contact, but rather touches the upper edge portion 65 of the accessory placement portion 62 in a point contact over a relatively narrow range. At this time, the center of gravity of the accessory 5 in the accessory storage position is located almost directly below the point contact position between the flange portion 73 and the upper edge portion 65 of the accessory placement portion 62.

However, if the flange portion 73 is in line contact with the upper edge portion 65 of the accessory placement portion 62, a couple of forces will be generated around the contact point between the flange portion 73 and the upper edge portion 65 of the accessory 5. In addition, the center of gravity of an accessory 5 such as a round brush 6 does not necessarily pass through the center of the annular flange portion 73 and is not located on a line segment extending in the longitudinal direction of the accessory 5. Therefore, even if the upper edge portion 65 of the accessory placement portion 62 is a horizontal surface, a couple of forces may be generated around the contact point between the flange portion 73 and the upper edge portion 65 of the accessory 5.

On the other hand, the support portion 43 according to this embodiment allows the flange portion 73 of the accessory 5 to come into point contact with the upper edge portion 65 of the accessory placement portion 62 over a relatively narrow range, and the center of gravity of the accessory 5 in the accessory storage position can be positioned substantially directly below the contact position between the flange portion 73 and the upper edge portion 65 of the accessory placement portion 62. Therefore, when a user of the vacuum cleaner 1 picks up the accessory 5 from the storage device 3, the user can smoothly pick up the accessory 5 without feeling any effect of the couple of forces caused by the accessory 5.

In order to bring the flange portion 73 of the accessory 5 and the upper edge portion 65 of the accessory placement portion 62 into point contact over a relatively narrow range, it is preferable that at least one of the cross-sectional shapes of the flange portion 73 and the upper edge portion 65 in a cross section passing through the contact point between the flange portion 73 and the upper edge portion 65 of the accessory placement portion 62 (Figure 8) is an arc shape that bulges out toward the contacting other side. Figure 8 is a cross section passing through the contact point between the flange portion 73 of the accessory 5 and the upper edge portion 65 of the accessory placement portion 62, and does not necessarily pass through the center of the tube portion 72 of the accessory 5.

It is also preferable that the support section 43 is made of a material similar to or softer than the material of the vacuum cleaner 2 at the contact point between the vacuum cleaner 2 and the vacuum cleaner placement section 61, and the material of the accessory 5 at the contact point between the accessory 5 and the accessory placement section 62. The contact point between the vacuum cleaner 2 and the vacuum cleaner placement section 61 is, for example, the extension tube 17, and the contact point between the accessory 5 and the accessory placement section 62 is, for example, the flange section 73. The extension tube 17 is, for example, made of an aluminum alloy, and the flange section 73 of the accessory 5 is a molded product of resin, for example, ABS resin. Therefore, it is preferable that the support section 43 is made of a material similar to these or a softer material, for example, a molded product of ABS resin, polypropylene (PP resin), or polyurethane (urethane resin).

As described above, the electric cleaning device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a support part 43 provided on a support part 42, and includes a vacuum cleaner arrangement part 61 that opens horizontally and in which the vacuum cleaner 2 can be arranged, and an accessory arrangement part 62 that opens horizontally and in which the accessory 5 can be arranged. The open end 61o of the vacuum cleaner arrangement part 61 and the open end 62o of the accessory arrangement part 62 are arranged side by side. Therefore, a user of the electric cleaning device 1 can easily pick up the vacuum cleaner 2 and the accessory 5 from the same direction of the storage device 3, in this embodiment, from the front of the storage device 3, while standing upright.

The electric cleaning device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention is provided with an accessory placement section 62 having an upper edge 65 that slopes downward from the open end 62o to the closed end 62c. Therefore, the electric cleaning device 1 can prevent the accessory 5 stored in the accessory placement section 62 from falling out of the accessory placement section 62. The electric cleaning device 1 also improves the ease of picking up the accessory 5 by bringing the extension direction of the accessory 5 stored in the accessory placement section 62 closer to the vertical direction.

Furthermore, the electric cleaning device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a vacuum cleaner arrangement section 61 and an accessory arrangement section 62 in which the angle θ between the mutual opening directions d1, d2 is 45 degrees or less. Therefore, the electric cleaning device 1 prevents the support section 43 from expanding significantly in the width direction of the storage device 3, and allows the open end 61o of the vacuum cleaner arrangement section 61 and the open ends 62o of the multiple accessory arrangement sections 62 to be arranged side-by-side without any difficulty.

The electric vacuum device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention also includes a vacuum cleaner placement section 61 that contacts the extension tube 17 and supports the vacuum cleaner 2 in a storage position. Therefore, the electric vacuum device 1 can easily handle both the vacuum cleaner 2 and the accessories 5.

Furthermore, the electric vacuum device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes an accessory placement section 62 having a closed end 62c that is closer to the open end 62o of the vacuum cleaner placement section 61 than the closed end 61c of the vacuum cleaner placement section 61 in the opening direction of the vacuum cleaner placement section 61. Therefore, the electric vacuum device 1 allows the accessory 5 to be easily removed from the storage device 3 regardless of whether the vacuum cleaner 2 is stored in the storage device 3 or not.

The electric cleaning device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention also includes a support part 43 that is an integrally molded product and is placed on the top of the support part 42. Therefore, when picking up the vacuum cleaner 2 and the accessories 5, the user only needs to be careful about the mutual interference between the vacuum cleaner 2 and the accessories 5, and the storage device 3 does not interfere with the act of picking up the vacuum cleaner 2 and the accessories 5.

Furthermore, the vacuum cleaner 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention has a support part 43 made of a material that is the same as or softer than the material of the vacuum cleaner 2 at the point where the vacuum cleaner 2 and the vacuum cleaner placement part 61 come into contact, and the material of the accessory 5 at the point where the accessory 5 and the accessory placement part 62 come into contact. Therefore, the vacuum cleaner 1 can prevent the vacuum cleaner 2 and the accessory 5 from being damaged, such as by scuffs or scratches, when stored.

The electric vacuum device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention stores an accessory 5 having a tube portion 72 with a diameter smaller than the opening width of the accessory placement portion 62 and an annular flange portion 73 with an outer diameter larger than the opening width of the accessory placement portion 62. Therefore, the electric vacuum device 1 can store the accessory 5 by hooking it on a very limited portion of the accessory 5, namely the flange portion 73.

Furthermore, in the electric cleaning device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, when the accessory 5 is stored in the storage device 3, the flange portion 73 of the accessory 5 comes into contact with the upper edge portion 65 of the accessory placement section 62. In addition, it is preferable that at least one of the cross-sectional shapes of the flange portion 73 and the upper edge portion 65 in a cross section passing through the contact point between the flange portion 73 and the upper edge portion 65 of the accessory placement section 62 is an arc shape that bulges toward the contacting other side. Such an electric cleaning device 1 can be stored by hooking a very limited portion of the accessory 5, i.e., the flange portion 73, on a very limited portion of the accessory placement section 62 of the storage device 3, i.e., the upper edge portion 65. Such a contact relationship between the storage device 3 and the accessory 5 reliably brings the extension direction of the accessory 5 stored in the accessory placement section 62 closer to the vertical direction, improving the ease of picking up the accessory 5.

The vacuum cleaner 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention stores an accessory 5 having a base portion 71 with a joint structure connectable to the vacuum cleaner 2, and an inlet 75 through which negative pressure acts when the base portion 71 is connected to the vacuum cleaner 2 and the electric blower 13 is operated. The accessory placement section 62 supports the accessory 5 in an accessory storage position in which the inlet 75 of the accessory 5 is located below the base portion 71. Such a vacuum cleaner 1 is highly convenient because the accessory 5 taken out of the storage device 3 can be attached to the joint structure of the main body 16 of the vacuum cleaner 2 or the joint structure at the tip of the extension tube 17 in a series of continuous movements without having to turn the accessory 5 upside down.

As described above, the electric vacuum device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention is highly convenient, being excellent in both ease of handling of the vacuum cleaner 2 stored in the storage device 3 and ease of handling of the accessories 5 stored in the storage device 3.

Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents described in the claims.

1...Electric cleaning device, 2...Vacuum cleaner, 3...Storage device, 5...Accessories, 6...Round brush, 7...Gap nozzle, 11...Secondary battery, 12...Electric motor, 13...Electric blower, 15...Handle, 16...Main body, 17...Extension tube, 18...Suction port body, 21...Main body case, 21a...Front part, 21b...Central part, 21c...Rear part, 22...Dust separation and collection part, 23...Main body control part, 25...Suction port, 26...Input part, 28...Main body connection port, 29...Exhaust port, 31...Battery mounting part, 32...Rotary cleaning Body, 33...motor, 41...base, 42...pillar section, 43...support section, 51...upper surface, 52...lower support section, 53...groove section, 55...central bulge, 61...vacuum cleaner placement section, 61o...open end, 61c...closed end, 62...accessory placement section, 62o...open end, 62c...closed end, 65...upper edge, 65a...edge of upper edge closer to vacuum cleaner placement section, 65b...edge of upper edge farther from vacuum cleaner placement section, 66...upper surface section, 71...root section, 72...pipe section, 73...flange section, 75...suction port.

Claims (9)

an electric vacuum cleaner including an electric blower that generates a negative pressure, a main body that houses the electric blower, and a pipe that is connected to a suction side of the electric blower and extends from the main body;
a storage device capable of supporting the vacuum cleaner in a position in which the tube is located below the main body,
The storage device is
A base to be placed at an installation location;
a support portion extending upward from the base portion;
a support part provided on the support column and capable of individually supporting the vacuum cleaner in the position and an accessory of the vacuum cleaner,
The accessory has a base portion having a joint structure connectable to the vacuum cleaner, and a suction port to which the negative pressure acts when the base portion is connected to the vacuum cleaner and the electric blower is operated,
The support portion is
A vacuum cleaner placement section that opens in a horizontal direction and in which the vacuum cleaner can be placed;
An accessory placement section that opens in a horizontal direction and in which the accessory can be placed,
The open end of the vacuum cleaner arrangement portion and the open end of the accessory arrangement portion are arranged side by side ,
The accessory placement portion supports the accessory by hanging it in an accessory storage position in which the suction port of the accessory is positioned lower than the base portion, and supports the accessory so that it can be removed in an opening direction through the open end . The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the accessory placement section has an upper edge that slopes downward from the open end to the closed end. The electric vacuum device according to claim 1, wherein the angle between the opening direction of the vacuum cleaner arrangement section and the opening direction of the accessory arrangement section is 45 degrees or less. The vacuum cleaner device according to claim 1, wherein the vacuum cleaner placement section contacts the tube and supports the vacuum cleaner in the position. The electric vacuum device according to claim 1, wherein in the opening direction of the vacuum cleaner arrangement section, the closed end of the accessory arrangement section is closer to the open end of the vacuum cleaner arrangement section than the closed end of the vacuum cleaner arrangement section. The electric vacuum device of claim 1, wherein the support part is a one-piece molded product and is disposed at the top of the support part. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the support part is made of a material that is the same as or softer than the material of the vacuum cleaner at the contact point between the vacuum cleaner and the vacuum cleaner placement part, and the material of the accessory at the contact point between the accessory and the accessory placement part. The electric vacuum device according to claim 1, wherein the accessory has a tube portion having a diameter smaller than the opening width of the accessory placement portion, and an annular flange portion having an outer diameter larger than the opening width of the accessory placement portion. When the accessory is stored in the storage device, the flange portion contacts an upper edge portion of the accessory storage portion,
The electric cleaning device of claim 8, wherein at least one of the cross-sectional shapes of the flange portion and the upper edge portion in a cross section passing through the contact point between the flange portion and the upper edge portion of the accessory placement portion is an arc shape that bulges toward the contacting other portion.

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